The West Virginia University School of Public Health announces its new fall 2015 Public Health Dialogues Speaker Series. The monthly series will continue its quest to establish a broader conversation about the social determinants of health in West Virginia and bring relevant public health issues to the forefront.

The Public Health Dialogues Speaker Series is sponsored by the Office of Public Health Practice and Workforce Development within the WVU School of Public Health. The series is free and open to the public.

Those interested should RSVP at SPH-Dialogues@hsc.wvu.edu to reserve a complimentary lunch. Please indicate in the subject line which event(s) you will be attending. Locations, times, and complete speaker biographies are posted at the Speaker Series’ web site. Questions should be directed to Crystal Rhodes at 304-293-0760 or ctoth@hsc.wvu.edu.

The Fall 2015 schedule and speaker briefs follow.

September 1
11:30 a.m. -12:45 p.m.| Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center, No.| Rm 1905
Legal and Policy Tools to Address Chronic Diseases (and we don’t mean the ACA)
Marice Ashe, JD, MPH, CEO and founder of the Oakland-based nonprofit ChangeLab Solutions, creates pioneering efforts to improve and sustain communities. As executive director, Marice Ashe has launched a number of groundbreaking efforts to improve public health through the use of law and policy. Under her leadership, ChangeLab Solutions builds the capacity of leaders across the nation to address a range of chronic diseases through practical policy solutions. ChangeLab Solutions’ team of lawyers, city planners, architects, and policy specialists develop model laws and policies, consult on tough policy questions, and provide training and technical assistance to ensure strong policy initiatives and sustainable solutions.

October 2
12 p.m. -1:15 p.m.| Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center, No.| Rm 1905
The Mediating Effects of SNAP on Health Outcomes for Low Income Households
Colleen Heflin, PhD, work is informed by the study of processes that create systems and patterns of social stratification. However, since she is interested in how social policies affect the well-being of vulnerable populations, her work falls at the boundaries of sociology, economics, public health, public administration, and women’s studies. Her interdisciplinary research program focuses on understanding the survival strategies employed by low-income households to make ends meet, the implications of using these strategies for individual and household well-being. A central focus of her work has been understanding the causes and consequences of material hardship.

November 6
12 p.m. -1:15 p.m.| Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center, No.| Rm 1905
Patient-Centered Comparative Effectiveness Research
Sally Morton, PhD, founding editor of Statistics, Politics, and Policy and Professor and Chair of the Department of Biostatistics in Graduate School of Public Health at the University of Pittsburgh. In this talk, Dr. Morton will discuss several issues, including data sources and study designs; the PCORI methodology standards; and partnership with stakeholders. Dr. Morton’s research, the use of meta-analysis in evidence-based medicine, and the sampling of vulnerable populations. Dr. Morton answers “What healthcare treatment works best, for whom, and under what circumstances?” from the unique perspective of the patient as decision-maker. Patients and other stakeholders – such as families, caregivers, clinicians, and policy-makers – are partners in the research, rather than solely subjects or participants. Consequently, fundamental design, methodology, implementation, and interpretation challenges and opportunities have arisen in the context of PR-CER.

December 4
12 p.m. -1:15 p.m.| Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center, No.| Rm 1905
Income inequality, public services and premature mortality in US states – can investments in human capital compensate for the effects of inequality on health?
Jim Dunn, PhD, reviews research from 2005 that investigated the relation between government expenditures on public services and all-cause mortality in US states with emphasis on the part public services play in the relation between income inequality and population health. A large body of research now suggests that socioeconomic factors are influential in the production of population health and numerous studies have shown a relation between income inequality and mortality in the USA. The causal factors underlying such a relation, however, have been debated. One hypothesis is that places that tolerate high levels of income inequality may systematically underinvest in human capital and public services. This presentation addresses the underinvestment hypothesis by examining: (1) the relation between expenditures on public services by state and local governments and all-cause mortality, and (2) whether the association between income inequality and mortality is attenuated by public spending.

The Office of Public Health Practice and Workforce Development is located within the WVU School of Public Health. The office is a Local Performance Site of the Region III Public Health Training Center funded by HRSA.

–WVU–

td/07/20/15

CONTACT: Taylor Devine; WVU School of Public Health
304.293.0199; tdevine1@hsc.wvu.edu
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